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Arsenal will kick off their Europa League campaign on Thursday against FC Zurich. Despite falling to Manchester United to lose their perfect start to the season, the Gunners are still on top of the Premier League as Mikel Arteta's vision is coming together. With the third-best goal difference domestically, the numbers are also backing Arsenal's improvement behind a summer that brought Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to the club. William Saliba's return from Olympique Marseille has also played a large role in the team's defensive improvement while Gabriel Martinelli has made the left wing his own. It has been quite a start to the season and others are taking notice as they look like Europa League contenders.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has seen enough to believe in the team.

"I believe [in the team]. I didn't believe for a long time that we could do something ... I worry about the Europa League because of the depth of the team. I think the starting XI is good enough, but when you're going into these games at one point during the season, a long season and it might be a bit much," Henry said on CBS Sports' Champions League broadcast. "But I can see a team togetherness, and I like that."

That depth has been tested already during the season with injuries to Thomas Partey, Mohamed Elneny, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Zinchenko. But lack of depth also calls for creative solutions as Ben White has taken well to a right-back role that he may not have been tested at if not for fitness concerns around Tomiyasu. That role has been critical to Arsenal this season as it allows Arteta to accommodate Zinchenko roaming forward while also keeping the team stout defensively as they morph into playing with more of a back three.

While most managers would look for fullbacks who can get forward and get into the attack, that isn't the best setup for Arsenal currently as it would make them too easy to pick apart on the counterattack. 

"What it is with Gabriel Jesus' arrival is that he won. He's bringing that into the team and you can see it." Henry said. "Having said that, the way we beat Fulham and the way we beat Villa, we were a bit emotional at times." 

Jesus has impacted games in so many ways for Arsenal. It's easy to look at his three goals and three assists and see that he's having a good season, but the Brazillian is involved in everything for Arsenal. From winning possession back by pressing the opposition to bring the ball down in the air despite only being 5-foor-9, Jesus' impact has been a turning point for the team. He became a well-rounded player at Manchester City and now he's thriving while being one of the focal points of the team under Arteta.

Speaking to CBS Sports before the season, captain Martin Odegaard was looking forward to linking up with Jesus in the attacking third as it has also lifted his play with three goals to help steady the balanced attack. But Europa League will bring a different test for the Gunners.

Only 13 players have made multiple starts for the club this season as Arteta has kept a tight rotation, and two of those players will be unavailable for their Europa League clash. It's an important test to see if the team is deep enough to mount a sustained title challenge during the season. There's no doubting the strength of the starting squad, but there's much to prove for the squad players and that test begins in Zuirch.